The Shoe Factory
by CrimsonRae
Summary: From my stories Secrets Undercover and Whispered Moments. Audrey inadvertently finds herself in a situation she tried to avoid. Fluffy. one-shot enjoy.


A/N: Just a cutesy one-shot that I wrote as I brainstormed and proofread my next chapter on WM. Enjoy

Disclimer: I own what is mine.

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**The Shoe Factory**

"Explain to me, why it is that we're here?"

Audrey arched an eyebrow as she turned to address her husband, "If I recall correctly, you normally get irritated whenever I go into the Narrows on my own."

Bruce frowned and muttered sarcastically, "I wonder why?"

The two were slowly making their way to the lower sections of a condemned building. Bruce had watched in amusement as Audrey carefully kept herself away from the cobwebs that littered the walls and doors of the building. It only became worse the further into the building they went. The building itself was interesting. Bruce was fairly sure that it been an old shoe factory at one time, but why it had areas that went underground confused him.

Audrey rolled her eyes, "Because for whatever reason you think something bad is going to happen whenever I go out."

"Something bad normally does happen when you go out." Bruce pointed out. His eyes drifted over a few boxes on the ground…he wished there was more light; "I'm still not sure why we're here?"

"It's an assignment." Audrey replied lightly as she ducked under a low beam.

Bruce looked over at her suspiciously, "What kind of assignment takes you to an old shoe factory in the worse part of Gotham?"

"The kind that's looking for an underground entrance to the harbor." She said almost cautiously.

Bruce froze and turned hard eyes onto his wife, "What?"

Audrey shrugged, "It's a long story…I'll tell you when we get home."

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a rat ran across her path. Instead she cringed and thoughts of disease and spiders creeping across her skin ran through her mind as she moved slightly closer to Bruce. It was amazing; she could handle a lot of things but insects and rodents just made her skin crawl.

Bruce sighed and moved to check out what looked like a gap in a wall, "Why do I have the feeling that me being irritated with you isn't the only reason I'm here?"

His only reply was a quazi-innocent smile from Audrey as she pulled out her flashlight and turned it on. Bruce tilted his head as he began to study his wife. His question had been rhetorical but her body language was telling him, he was on to something. Now, he wanted an answer, "Why did you bring me?"

"I told you that you would have been irritated with me. I was just trying to avoid that." Audrey answered slowly as if she was talking to someone who was slow.

"No." Bruce sad with narrowed eyes, "You could have avoided that by taking Michelle or Reed or one of your colleagues with you, but you didn't."

"Did you ever consider that they might have assignments too?" She bit out unconvincingly. Her eyes narrowed as Bruce began to smile at her, "What?"

He honestly couldn't help the smile. She had that look on her face whenever she was hiding something that would embarrass her. This reluctance to say anything…he thought it was adorable that Audrey didn't realize what she was doing. It only made him want to know the real reason why she asked him to come even more.

Audrey huffed when he didn't answer her and turned back to finding another entrance underground. She didn't even hear Bruce come up from behind which was unusual for her. She just about had a heart attack when his hand came to rest on her hip.

Bruce struggled to hold back his laughter, "Are you okay?"

Audrey glared up at him, "Make some freaking noise would you!"

He nodded and tugged at her arm, "So what's the reason that I'm here?"

"You scared me half to death for that?" Audrey questioned in disbelief.

Bruce shrugged, "You've made me curious."

"Heaven forbid that your curiosity go unsatisfied." She muttered under her breath while internally she groaned. He was like a computer geek with a new video game whenever he was curious. Once he started to play he had to finish every level and find all the cheat codes before he could move onto anything else.

Bruce merely smirked at her words, "That's right. Now, tell me."

"I don't want to tell you."

"I know you don't that's why I want to know." The all knowing tone in his voice only served to frazzle Audrey even more.

"I'm not telling you." She replied before moving to turn around. She found she couldn't, Bruce had a firm grip on her hip. Her eyes blazed up at him.

Bruce raised his eyebrows and gave her a mocking smile, "Audrey."

"Bruce." Audrey bit back in warning.

"Just tell me."

"No."

Bruce eyed her in thought before tugging her closer to his body. His hand brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face, "You know you want to."

"No, I don't." Audrey murmured as she tried not to smile at the mischievous expression on Bruce's face.

"Audrey, just tell me." Bruce ordered lightly as he felt her trying to gently pull away, "You know I'm not going to let this go."

She knew he was right, but that didn't exactly make her want to tell him anything either. With a sigh, she decided it would just be easier to tell him. She would at least be able to go back to her assignment faster.

Squirming slightly she finally muttered under her breath the real reason why she wanted him there.

Bruce lifted an eyebrow at her, "What was that?"

"This place gives me the creeps. I felt better with you going with me." Sulky was the only word to describe Audrey's tone. Annoyance however, described her expression at the smug look on Bruce's face, "See this is why I didn't want to tell you. Your ego gets a boost it doesn't need."

Bruce couldn't help the chuckle that came out as he wrapped his arms around his brooding wife, "I like that you feel safer when I'm around. It means I'm doing my job as your husband."

"Yeah, uh huh. Get off me; I need to finish this assignment." Audrey said as she pushed away from a still self-satisfied Bruce.

She hadn't made it two steps away before a thought suddenly occurred to Bruce, "How would you know that this place gave you the creeps? Isn't this your first time here?"

Her back still to him, Audrey winced at her husband's questions. Quickly, she pretended like she hadn't heard him and began to pace across the room, "You know I think I see something over there."

Bruce was stuck between disbelief and aggravation, "Audrey!"

He made his way after her debating whether or not he would interrogate her now or drag her home before extracting answers from her. Audrey bit her lip suddenly thinking that shoe factory didn't seem all that creepy now.


End file.
